Game-board



No. 622,858. Patented Apr. n, I899.

m. n. JEWELL.

GAME BOARD.

(Application filed. Feb. 23, 1898.)

(No Model.) 54

l i so =80 WlTNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAJOR ROMEYN JEWELL, OF SENECA FALLS, NEWV YORK.

GAME-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,858, dated April 11, 1899.

Application filed February 23, 1898. Serial No. 671,874. (No model.)

. complete specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to games, and it has particular relation to an improved game embodying the principles of croquet, the field and wickets and stakes being arranged upon a board adapted to be balanced in the hands to cause the proper relative movement of balls or spheres upon its top surface. The balancing of the board and the proper control of the balls or spheres upon its plane top surface require great steadiness of precision, and my invention is therefore termed a nerve croquet apparatus.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by the same numerals of reference in each of the views, and in which Figure 1 is a top or plan view of the board comprising my invention and forming the croquet-field. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View taken on line 3 3, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the board, which is preferably rectangular in contour and is provided with a plane or flat top surface which forms the field and is preferably smooth or polished. In said top surface of the board, adjacent to its edge or surroundin g the rectangular field, is a continuous groove or channel, and at the corners, intersecting the respective wings of said groove or channel, are formed wells or recesses 3, into which the channels lead.

The wickets and stakesare arranged upon the plane top surface of the board 1 in a manner corresponding to the ordinary croquetfield. 4 designates the pins, which are arranged at each end of the field and form the terminal stakes, while 5 designates the wickets, (preferably nine in number,) which are arranged in the usual relative position or assemblage between the terminal stakes. The stakes 4 are preferably formed by simple pins driven into the top surface of the board, while the wickets 5 are preferably formed of wire bent into U shape and likewise driven into the top surface of the board. At the initial or starting point, in front of the initial stake, I prefer to mark a star or other device 6, upon which the ball or sphere 10 is first placed in starting the game.

- A series of numerals are marked upon the top surface of the board, as shown in Fig. 1, which are designed to indicate a relative successive count or value of the different wickets and stakes in their regular successive order 7 with respect to the proper run of the ball. For instance, at the right-hand side of the first wicket is marked the numeral 5 and on the same side of the second wicket the numeral 10, and so on to the end wicket at the reverse end of the field, which in proper sequence will bring the number 35 at the right-hand side of said end wicket. The re- Verseend stake is then numbered 40, and the reverse numbering of the respective wickets is then commenced at their opposite side until the final reverse numbering of the initial wicket will be 75 and the final stake at the initial end of the field will be numbered 80. This relative and sequential numbering of the different stakes and wickets with respect to the proper run of the field is clearly indicated in Fig. l and may of course be varied as desired to produce different combinations of numbers and totals.

The manner of playing this improved nerve croquet game is as follows: The ball or sphere 10 is first placed at the initial point 6, the board being balanced in the hands of the op.- erator. Then by tilting or varying the balance of the board the ball is propelled in proper consecutive run through the different wickets and in contact with the stakes in the same manner as in an ordinary game of fieldcroquet. The numbering of the wickets and stakes gives a total number of points for the complete circuit of the field of the board and also a total at any particular point in said circuit. .The point of attainment for deciding the game can be the highest number of points made by the player atone trial, or any predetermined number of points. say, for in- F stance, five hundred or one thousand-can be agreed upon to constitute the game, the player so ccessively continuing the circuit of the field until a miss is made.

It will be understood that the ball or sphere is rolled or propelled upon the plane top surface of board, which constitutes the field, by simply balancing the board in the hands. If the ball passes through a wicket out of regular order or passes through a wicket in the wrong direction or rollsinto the surrounding groove or channel which is intended to prevent the balls from rolling off the board or into one of the corner recesses or pockets,'

game of croquet, said wickets and stakes being numbered, and a ball or spherical body which is adapted to be passed through said wickets and to be rolled in contact with said stakes by varying the position of the board in the hand, said board being also provided around its edge with grooves formed in the upper surface, at each side and end thereof, said grooves being in communication, substantially as shown and described.

2. An improved game device, comprising a board adapted to be balanced in the hand of the player and provided with a plane top surface forming a field, and with a plurality of wickets and stakes arranged similar to the arrangement of the wickets and stakes in a game of croquet,said wickets and stakes being numbered, and a ball or spherical body which is adapted to be passed through said wickets and to be rolled in contact with said stakes by varying the position of the board in the hand, said board being also provided around its edge with grooves formed in the upper surface, at each side and end thereof, said grooves being in communication by means of circular cavities or recesses formed at the corners of ,saidboard, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 28th day of January, 1898.

MAJOR ROMEYN JEVV'ELL.

,Witnesses:

L. M. MULLER, M. A. KNOWLES. 

